SAN CLEMENTE – A paralyzed Mexican famous in his native country for long-distance ocean swims made his U.S. swimming debut over the weekend.

Under overcast skies Sunday, family and friends sent Sergio Valencia off with prayers and shouts of “good luck” as he swam alone into the ocean.

He swam almost four miles to Dana Point and then headed back south to the San Clemente pier, where hundreds of people were gathering for an ocean festival.

“I’ve always wanted to swim in the United States,” Valencia, 47, said in Spanish. “So Americans can see what I can do I’m going to burn the waters with my speed.”

A car accident severed Valencia’s spine 30 years ago. He turned to swimming, using a powerful stroke to pull his paralyzed legs across the Strait of Gibraltar and several island-to-mainland spans off Baja California.

Valencia wears a black wetsuit and calls himself the Black Shark, inspired by the fearsome animal’s graceful swimming style.

His feats used to be celebrated in his hometown of Ensenada and beyond. He met presidents, and musicians wrote songs about his swims alongside sharks, crocodiles and sea lions.

He had hoped his swimming would help him fund treatment for his back or enable him to get a coaching job helping other disabled people. But money and opportunities are scarce in Mexico, especially for the handicapped.

After five hours Sunday, the crowd at the pier spotted Valencia swimming toward shore, escorted by two paddleboats and a rescue boat. A team of lifeguards carried him to the sand. Hundreds of people, some tear-eyed, gave him an ovation.

Valencia said he hopes to return to the U.S. to find sponsors for more swims.

Last year, he was a finalist for the Hall of Fame for the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.

“I want to help disabled people overcome depression and achieve their goals,” Valencia said. “Inside them is a shark. They just need to let it out and start fighting.”